Summer TL: President Henry Wallace

[Historico]

Nice first start off for it, Can't wait to see what happens with the Wallace Presidency.

[Historico]

Looks like there is going to be a pretty nasty Convention floor fight inorder if Wallace is going to get renominate or not. I perdict Stassen/MacArthur for the GOp ticket

[Historico]

Ok, Nice touch with Kerr getting the nomination, as he is a solid debater and a strong compromise candidate. Who was Wallace's pick for his Vice Presidential Running mate? Can't wait to see what happens on the Republican side.

[Historico]

Loved the last two installments. It does seem that Dewey did indeed give Kerr a thrumpin in this Alternate '48 election. When you had said Dewey picked the Insurgent General as his running mate, I thought you were talking about MacArthur, who in my opinon would have been a stronger pick inorder to balance the ticket, experience wise on foriegn policy and appeal to conservatives. Two relativley young Governor's might not cut it for the GOP at this time. As for the Dewey Presidency, might American's be less supportative of an invasion of Korea after a long drawn out Invasion of Japan only four years before. Anyways I am throughly enjoying this timeline and Keep it comming.

[Historico]

In regards to McArthur, my reasoning was that since he was still stationed in Japan that it wouldn't make sense. In regards to Korea, yes the public was sick of war but they recognized that we couldn't let communism take over. Part of Dewey's decision not to cross the 38th parallel was based around the sickness over war.

I really don't see it being that big of an obstacle, Mac could just leave Japan to his Second in Command to return to the States to Campaign lol. Especially if it was knowledge that the race was really Dewey's to loose and the old general could only help the relativley stiff Dewey. BTW enjoyed the bit about the Dem Nomination, A Kefauver/Stevenson ticket should be pretty interesting, Im pulling for Averell in '56 though lol

[Historico]

Great Update HC, I think we can safely say that Dewey after this close election probably won have enough Popular Support to go for a third term(Or was the 22nd Amendment still passed) and Stassen is going to have a hard time at the convention trying to assure the Party bosses he can win. The Democratic race will be watched intently as well...Are you planning on taking this all the way to 2008 atleast?

[Historico]

In response to Historico's last quote, yes the 22nd Amendment has been ratified. I do hope to take this up to modern day. After all it is the summer and I have a lot of free time! And yes, Mike Mansfield should be the Democrats

Cool Beans...This should be a pretty interesting Presidential list after you get done with it. I have a feeling that Wallace may be one of the 1st President to be able to redefine his own controversial Presidency in his post-presidency. President Wallace would probably throw his support behind the Civil Rights movement alot more than he did IOTL. Also he could get Americans reinterested in Agriculture, and the beginning of the Enviormental movement. I just really think he was ahead of his time on alot issues, and if he could stick around for a couple of more years , he could see some of those ideas that he pushed in the 40's begin to come into fruition in the '60s.

[Historico]

Nice update with Dewey really pressing hard on getting the 1956 Civil Rights bill passed, the bill should give Stassen enough support within the party to clinch the nomination. But I do not think it would be a Coronation, as the conservative wing of the GOP was growing significantly and will probably run a challenger. I imagine that in the Senate, Nixon always the fervernt Anti-Communist especially in his short time in the Senate IOTL, would gradually shift more so towards the right without Esienhower. So after a tough primary battle between Nixon and Stassen...I think Stassen would go with a different Californian Conservative in the form of Senator William F. Knowland(Who personally couldn't stand Nixon). Obvious I can't wait for your take on the '56 elections...Keep it comming.

[Historico]

Nice update, Can't wait to see "The New Wallace" against Stassen...btw, google in partnership with Life has some good pics of Wallace in the '50's if he indeed becomes the 35th POTUS...Keep it comming.

[Historico]

Good update HC, Wasn't expecting old Tricky dick to pull off a win at the convention. With his paranoia it should turn out to be a very interesting race. Im not sure about the pick of Wayne Morse for Nixon's running mate. Although it balances out the ticket ideologically, having two Senators from the West Coast. To balance the ticket more Geographically I would have went with Governor Christian A. Herter of Massaschusetts or Senator Prescott S. Bush of Conneticut. Anyways...Cant wait to see what Wallace V. Nixon looks like...Keep it comming

[Historico]

Bush was defeated in his bid for the senate by Abraham Ribicoff. It was a very close race, but Ribicoff narowly pulled off the victory. I agree that the regionality is a little close, but at the same time I felt that Morse would be a very valuable campaigner.

I still think Governor Herter of Massachusetts would have been a much better choice than Morse...who In OTL 1952 left the GOP in protest because he disliked Nixon so much and hated that he was chosen as Ike's running mate. I do agree he does have an wealth of expierence but Nixon was never one to promote a team of rivals and having a realtivley loyal runningmate would be essential for Tricky Dick.

[Historico]

Nice update...Hmm Tricky Dick being so young, he's definatley not over with his political career and well probably be involved with the big switch of 1958. But his candidacy well open the door up for Rocky in 1960(Rocky vs Happy will be a intriguing race in its own). But I am definatley can't wait to see who's in Wallace's second cabinent and how his Second Term goes. Keep it comming

[Historico]

Also one thing I just noticed about your electoral map, is that Wallace Carried Indiana but failed to carry Illinois. Indiana has been a solid GOP Stronghold before even Wallace's time. Illinois was more or less the swing state, especially if Stevenson campaigns hard for the Wallace/Chandler ticket.

[Historico]

Nice update on the Wallace Presidency...How did Wallace handle the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956? Is he going to get us involved in Vietnam, and send in Military advisors like OTL Ike did? Keep it comming

[Historico]

I found a good picture of an older Wallace that you could use, cuz most of em floating around the web are from the '40's or early 50's. And since Wallace would be Seventy by his second year in office. I'd like to think he'd be more closer to this...

As for the 1960 Election, with Wallace's popularity and inabillity to run for a third term(Eventhough I think technically under the 22nd he could, and like Truman in 1952 be grandfathered in. If anything his age will probably force him to step down). So Happy should be able to clinch the nomination by Acclamation, running mate wise...Why not go with Jack Kennedy, his strong oratory and appeal in the Northeast would greatly enhance the idea of having a Southerner at the top of the ticket.

As for the GOP, I think the Party Bosses would begrudingly let the moderate wing take a shot at the Presidency. Rocky should be able to clinch the nomination pretty easily, as his crowds were beating JFK's at the time IOTL. But the Conservatives will undoubtly mount a challenge...John Bricker might make one final go at it, or some unbeforementioned Dewey adminstration offical etc. But 1960 could be as competive in the GOP as it was for the DEM's IOTL.

[Historico]

Shucks...I was really pulling for Wagner winning the VP slot, but out of all the candidates who threw their hat in the ring for the 1960 DEM nomination, JFK had the most appeal. Eagerly awaiting the GOP side.

[Historico]

Solid Installment HC, Can't wait for the showdown of Happy vs. Rocky, it should be fairly close I'd wager

[Historico]

Wow...Was not expecting a Rockefeller victory, barely such a large margin of Victory only four years after the Dewey Adminstration. Well it is pretty thought amongst historians that Rocky would have beaten Kennedy in an ATL election, so Happy wouldn't be that much of a difference.  His age and Oratory would have been much more appealing than Happy's folkyness. Can't wait to see how Rocky's Presidency turns out.

[Historico]

Looks like a fairly successful Rockefeller 1st term...His reduction in the Vietnam War might come back to haunt him in the 1964 Elections but he should be able to pull off a second term, especially since things havent really heated up yet in the early 60's.

[Historico]

Looks like Jack was able to wiggle his way out of that close Primary race/Convention between Humphrey. He was always more moderate and hesitant/pragmatic on the Civil Rights Act than Hubert and even Bobby, as I think he understood better the delicate tightrope many Northern Politicans had to walk when it came to dealing with the South during this period. His pick of George Smather's isn't to suprising, as they were really good friends IOTL.

Now the question is how has Rocky's large infrastructure projects, descalation in Vietnam and embrace of Civil Rights affected the GOP.The role that was once filled by Bricker as the de facto head of the Conservative wing of the party, has probably been readily stepped into by Barry Goldwater. From everything that I stated above, and the huge grassroots support he had IOTL, I think he should mount a challenge. The 1964 Convention was so divided, that Im suprised the party didn't split, as it could have been 1912 election. A Goldwater third party run would have some interesting effects on the electoral map atleast.

[Historico]

Goldwater didn't win election in the first place against Ernest McFarland.

Oh...I might have glanced over that part lol, So whose the new leader of the Conservative movement? Senator Hruska of Nebraska, Senator Wallace Bennet of Utah, Senator John Texas, or do the Buckley bro's get into politics sooner?

[Historico]

I agree with GP, that it was a stellar campaign featuring two phenomenal candidates...So I guess Rocky recieved his renomination without a significant challenge right? Hmm Wallace may not be the only non consectutive term President in the 20th Century, with such a close loss, Rocky still might have enough steam to go for it again(Hell he tried from 1960 to 1976 to get it IOTL). Though law and order Nixon in 1968 will be tough to beat aswell Can't wait to see how an alt Kennedy Presidency might go...Keep it comming

[Historico]

Wow, everything sounds solid for Kennedy's 1st term, I can just imagine Pappa Joe standing over an anguished and slightly sedated Jack in the oval office telling him to crush the riots in a very Manchurian Candidatesque way lol. All the traveling and civil strife should be wearing down on his frail health, Im not sure if he could survive to see the end of his second term.

Also what's going on with Ronnie ITTL, does he get his LA House Seat as a "liberal democrat" or does he switch parties? Also and im pulling for either Hruska/Romney or Rhodes/Smith(Margaret Chase Smith that is ) for the Republican 1968 nomination race. Keep it comming.

[Historico]

Fantastic installment HC, I had a feeling that although Rhodes/Rockefeller would keep things competetive in the Industrial States and the South, Jack would have been able to win a fairly comfortable victory. I just had a crazy idea of the Kennedy campaign running a commercial simmilar to OTL Daisy ad where after showing a little suburban neighborhood being decimated by a nuclear explosion, the screen goes blank and a deep voice says..."Choose your Fate...Vote Kennedy/Smathers in 1968."

[Historico]

Hmm President Smathers seems to be favoring his home region quite a bit lol, might he try to try to get a form of OTL 25th amendment passed so it would allow an ascendent President to be able to nominate his vice president. If he doesn't face a serious challenge in the Primaries, Reagan, Wagner, or Humphrey would be some good choices for a running mate. the 72 Election should be pretty intersting.